Clamp for securing an umbrella cover to an umbrella rib



.awch l2, 1957 H. FLEISCHER CLAMP FOR SECURING AN UMBRELLA COVER TO AN UMBRELLA RIB Filed Aug. 24, 1954 INVENTOR Hem@ Wezlcke d ATTORNEY United States Patent() CLMP FOR SECURING AN UMBRELLA COVER TO AN UMBRELLA RIB Henry Fleischer, Jamaica, N. Y., assigner to The Finkel Umbrella Frame Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation `of New York `lamination August 24, 1954, serial No. 451,807

3 Claims. (Cl. 13S-36) This invention relates to the securing of umbrella covers Vto the umbrella ribs, and more particularly to the at j `tachment of` umbrella covers of large umbrellas, such as garden and beach umbrellas, to the `ribs thereof.

H eretofore it has been `the conventional practice to i `attach the umbrella covers of large umbrellas to the ribs by wiring the ends of the seamed gores, at the seams, to

i small cylindrical tubes, each provided with a groove in its periphery for the reception of the wire and each tube having anl open end which is disposed, `after the cover has fbeen wired thereto, so that it extends underneath the cover `in position to` receive a rib, In the finished umbrella, the

closed ends of the tubes project from the periphery of the umbrella cover. The operation of Wiring the cover to i the` cylindrical tubes is carried out manually, is timeconsuming andadds materially to the cost of producing the umbrella.

,i Itis amongA the objects of this invention to provide a clampfor attaching theumbrella fabric to the ribs, the

use of `which clamp dispenses with the necessity of the above described wiring operation, which clamp can readily Yand quicklybe attachedto the fabric cover by a suitable press, which clamp is simple in design, inexpensive to v make, and automatically provides a rib receiving opening, i and which clamp permits quick fastening or disposition of the ends of the ribs inthe rib receiving openings, so that the umbrella cover is secured `in position on the `ribs, with no projecting tips of metal which might cause 1 injury to a passerby,and is firmly held in position on the i i. ribs by the clamps and the tension of the cover.

j `ing the claimed invention to such illustrative instances:

"Figure 1 is a vertical section through a clamp embodying this invention. The clamp is shown in Figure l n position on an umbrella rib to` secure the umbrella cover `on this rib. This figure shows one end of the rib fragmentarily in elevation;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, taken in a plane indicated by line 2--2 of Figure 1 and shows the jaws of the clamp in plan or elevation;

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the clamp in open position before being secured to the fabric covering;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through the clamp secured to the umbrella cover in the initial position of the clamp relative to the cover, i. e., before the clamp is moved through an arc of 180 to position it for reception of one end of a rib;

Figure 5 is a modification of the clamp of Figure 1, showing a different type of clamping jaw, i. e., one having two teeth;

Figure 6 is a view, partly in section and partly a plan elevation, corresponding to Figure 2, but showing the clamp of Figure 5 in position on the cover; and

2,784,727 `Patented Mar. 12, 1957 ice Figure 7 is a perspective view of still another modification in which the clamp is provided with a circular opening for the reception of the circular end of an umbrella rib, and this opening is disposed in one of the intermediate sections, rather than in the back section of the clamp, as in the modification of Figures l to 6, inelusive.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the clamp of this invention is desirably made from a metal plate, desirably an elongated,` at metall plate, folded to the shape shown in Figure 3, so that it is constituted of five sections, namely, rear or back section 10, intermediate sections 11 and 12 extending from back section 10 at an obtuse angle, and jaw sections 13 an-d 14. Back section 10 is provided with an opening 15, the function of which will be described hereinafter. law section 14 may be shaped to provide a relatively narrowedge or tooth 16. The jaw sections 13 and 14 extend at substantially right angles to the intermediate sections 11 and 12, respectively. Thus, there is produced a clamp having a relatively largemouth 17. Such clamp may be produced readily and economically by stamping from suitable sheet metal stock, flat elongated plates having opening 15 and then shaping such elongated plates to the configuration shown in Figure 3. Such shaping can be effected in a i suitable press.

Each clamp is secured to an umbrella cover, preferably to an end 18 formed by the seam 19, securing contiguous gores 20 and 21 of the umbrella clover by placing the end 18 within the mouth 17 of the clamp, so end 18 is positioned-near opening 15 disposed in the `rear section 10. The clamp, with the umbrella cover in this position, is then pressed by a suitable press which compresses the assembly so that the intermediate sections 11 and 12 are brought into parallelism, and the fabric is firmly clamped between the jaw sections`13 and 14, as shown in Figure 4. The clamps may thus be secured quickly and inexpensively by hopper feeding the clamps to a press. An operator places the portion of the umbrella cover between the jaws and then actuates the press to close the jaws, i. e., move them from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4, thus effecting the clinching of each clamp onto the cover.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures l to 5, inclusive, opening 15 is in the shape of a narrow, elongated opening to receive the :attened end Z2 of circular rib 23. In this way, once end 22 is disposed ,within opening 15, the rib cannot rotate relative to the clamp.

In securing the umbrella cover to the umbrella frame, the clamps are first attached to the terminal or end portions of the seams of the gores or other desired portions of the cover by means of a press, as hereinabove described. The clamps on the cover are then turned from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 1. In the latter position the opening 15 in each clamp is disposed to receive the end 22 of a rib 23, i. e., is in alignment with the axis of a rib 23. The end 22 of each rib 23 is then inserted in an opening 15 of a clamp. The movement of the rib into the clamp causes the end of the rib to engage the end 18 of the cover and fold it from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure l. The tension of the cover maintains the ribs in place. Lateral movement of the clamps relative to the cover is prevented by tooth 16 bearing on the fabric cover, as at 24 (Figures l and 2). It will be noted that when in place with a rib in opening 15 the clamp is disposed beneath the cover, with the jaw 14, which is contiguous to the periphery of the umbrella cover, covered by this fabric cover, as indicated at 25. Accordingly, the clamp is disposed underneath the cover with the jaw 14 covered by the fabric leaving no metal tips or protuberances extending from the periphery of the umbrella cover.

The modification of Figure diers from that of Figure 3 chiefly in that the clamping jaw, instead of being shaped so that it has one tooth 16, is shaped, as shown in Figure 4, to provide two teeth 26 and 27 which, when the clamp is fastened to the cover, bears on the fabric 21 and prevents lateral motion of the clamp relative to the cover. It will be understood that the clamping jaw 14 may have any desired number of teeth, instead of the two teeth 26 and 27.

In the modiication of Figure 7, the clamp consists of ve sections, namely, rear or back section 35, intermediate sections 36 and 37 at an obtuse angle to back section 3S, and the clamping jaws 38 and 39 substantially at iight angles to intermediate sections 36 and 37, respectively. In this modilication, rear or back section 3S is solid, i. e., is not provided with an opening, and the intermediate section 36 is provided with a circular opening 40 for the reception of the end of a rib, which end is circular, and of a diameter substantially the same as that of circular opening 40. J aw 38 is provided with a plurality of bearing teeth 41 for preventing lateral movement of the clamp relative to the fabric cover.

In the use of the clamp of Figure 7, the jaws 38 and 39 are clamped onto the extending end of the umbrella cover so that a portion of the cover extends within the clamp, leaving, however, the opening 40 free to receive the end of a rib. The clamp with the cover between its jaws is then moved through a 270 arc, to place the opening 40 directly opposite the rib, i. e., in longitudinal alignment with the rib, extending from the umbrella notch or crown. It is necessary to move the clamp an additional 90 to so position the opening 40, because of the fact that the opening 40 is disposed in the intermediate section 36. By positioning the opening in the back section 35, it is necessary to move the clamp through only a 180 arc to properly position the opening for the reception of the rib.

It will be noted that the present invention provides a clamp which can readily be attached to an umbrella cover, by means of a press, which clamp, when associated with the cover, can readily and quickly be assembled with the ribs. Once the clamps are secured relative to the cover and ribs, as hereinabove described, the tension of the cover maintains the assembly in position on the ribs. It will be further noted that, when the clamps are thus positioned, they are completely covered by the umbrella cover, resulting in the umbrella having no projecting tips or other metal parts on the periphery of the cover.

Since certain changes may be made in the above -described clamps and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A clamp for attaching a exible cover to the end of a rib of an umbrella, comprising a tive-sectional member consisting of two terminal clamping jaw sections constituting the front end of said clamp; two intermediate sections each having extending from one end thereof, at an angle thereto, one of said jaw sections; and a back section from the ends of which said intermediate sections extend, said clamp having an opening in the portion thereof to the rear of said jaw sections, for receiving tre end of an umbrella rib, said opening being conined entirely within the wall portion of said clamp in which it is disposed, said clamp having the jaws widely spaced apart for the reception of a portion of an umbrella cover and adapted to be brought together to tightly clamp said portion of the umbrella cover between said jaws, and when so brought together the intermediate sections being substantially parallel to each other, leaving said opening free for the reception of one end of a rib, said clamp when so clamped on said cover being movable through an arc of at least about relative to the cover to position the jaw ends of the clamp at the end of the umbrella cover with the jaws covered by said cover and to further position said opening in alignment with the longitudinal axes of a rib and in position to receive one end of said rib.

2. A clamp for an umbrella cover to secure said cover to an umbrella rib, said clamp comprising a fivesided member, consisting of a back wall having an opening therein for the reception of one end of said rib, two intermediate sections each extending at an obtuse angle to said back wall, said opening in said back wall being confined entirely within said back wall, clamping jaws extending at substantially right angles to each'of said intermediate sections providing a relatively wide mouth `for the reception of a marginal portion of the umbrella cover, said intermediate sections being adapted to be brought into substantial parallel relation to bring said jaws into clamping engagement with said cover to rmly grasp said cover, and said assembly of clamp and cover being adapted to be moved through an arc of at least 180 to bring said opening into alignment with the longitudinal axes of said rib and' so that said opening receives one end of said rib.

3. A clamp as deined in claim 2, in which atleast one of the clamping jaws is provided with teeth for engaging said cover to prevent relative lateral movement between said clamp and said cover.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,999 Uchermann Ian. 31, 1893 719,269 Slyder Jan. 27, 1903 1,128,334 Kuehn Feb. 1'6, 1915 1,729,739 Elsey Oct. 1, 1929 1,944,646 McMurray Ian. 23, 1934 2,087,756 Farkas July 20. 1937 

